Privacy Policy – SCIO – IRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Last updated: July 5, 2026

Who We Are

SCIO Art ("SCIO," "we," "us," or "our") operates an iris photography art gallery at 933 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004, and the website scio-art.com. We photograph the human iris and transform it into personalized works of art. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. If you have any questions, contact us at info@scio-art.com.

Information We Collect

Iris Photographs

Our core service is photographing your iris. An iris photograph is a highly detailed image of a part of your body and, while we capture it for artistic purposes only, we treat it with the same care as sensitive biometric-adjacent imagery. Specifically:

Consent. We only photograph your iris with your explicit consent, given when you book or attend a session. For minors (for example at school trips or birthday parties), we require the consent of a parent or legal guardian before any photograph is taken.
Use. Iris images are used solely to create and deliver the artwork and products you order. We do not use iris images for identification, authentication, or any biometric matching, and we do not sell them or share them with third parties for their own purposes.
Marketing. We will not display your iris artwork in our galleries, on our website, or on social media without your separate, explicit permission.
Retention. We retain iris images for a limited period after your order is fulfilled so we can offer reprints and corrections, after which they are deleted. You may request earlier deletion at any time (see "Your Rights" below).

Contact and Inquiry Data

When you submit a form on our website (contact, event, or franchise inquiries), we collect the information you provide: your name, email address, phone number, and message. We use this information only to respond to your inquiry and manage our relationship with you.

Booking and Payment Data

Appointments, payments, and gift cards are processed by Square, Inc. When you book a session or buy a gift card, Square collects your booking details and payment information under its own terms. We do not store your full payment card details on our systems. Please review the Square Privacy Notice for details on how Square handles your data.

Analytics and Cookies

We use Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website (pages visited, approximate location, device type). These tools set cookies in your browser. Analytics data is aggregated and does not directly identify you. You can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on or by disabling cookies in your browser. See our Cookie Policy for more detail.

How We Use Your Information

To photograph your iris and produce the artwork and products you order;
To schedule and manage appointments and process payments (via Square);
To respond to contact, event, and franchise inquiries;
To send service communications about your order or booking;
To improve our website and services through aggregated analytics;
To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for automated decision-making that produces legal effects.

How We Share Your Information

We share personal information only with service providers who help us run our business, and only to the extent needed:

Square — appointment booking, payments, and gift cards;
Google — website analytics (Google Tag Manager / Google Analytics);
Our email provider — to receive and reply to your form submissions and emails;
Print and production partners — where necessary to produce your ordered artwork;
Legal authorities — if required by law, subpoena, or to protect the rights and safety of SCIO Art, our customers, or others.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described above: iris images for a limited period after order fulfilment (unless you request earlier deletion), inquiry data for as long as needed to handle your request and for a reasonable follow-up period, and transaction records for as long as tax and accounting laws require.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live (including rights modeled on the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act), you may have the right to:

Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate information;
Deletion — ask us to delete your personal information, including your iris photographs;
Objection / restriction — object to or restrict certain processing;
Non-discrimination — exercise these rights without receiving discriminatory treatment.

To exercise any of these rights, email info@scio-art.com with the subject line "Privacy Request." We will verify your identity and respond within the timeframe required by applicable law. Note that we may need to retain limited information where the law requires it (for example, transaction records).

Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children online. In person, we photograph the iris of a minor only with the consent and in the presence of a parent, legal guardian, or authorized school chaperone. If you believe a child's information was collected without proper consent, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Security

We use HTTPS encryption across our website and restrict access to personal information to staff who need it to serve you. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take commercially reasonable measures to protect your data and will notify affected individuals of any breach as required by law.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Material changes will be highlighted on our website.

Contact Us

For privacy questions or requests:
SCIO Art
933 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004
info@scio-art.com